Apparatus for making sheet glass



SHEET GLASS FPARATUS FOR MAKING INVEDWOFZS time and is drawn into thesheet above, thus resented' Sept. '7, i926.'

. UNITED STATES Laatse Parser carica.

JOHN BL FOX AND HARRY P. HITNER, F .iPITTSBURG-H, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGIQRS TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

.APPABMSJLN'J'S` FOR MAKING /SHEET GLASS.

VAppleman: :uca January 1s, 192e. semina. 80,938.

The invention relates to an apparatus for making sheet glass from a tank, and particular y to the type employing a draw-bar submerged in the bathbelow` the line of :generation of the sheet. In the use of such a draw-bar over a considerable period of time, there is a gradual accumulation of devitriiied glass alon the` upper surfaceof the bar, which devitrliied. glass then becomes detached fin small particles lfrom time-to materially impairin'g` its quality. To get rid of this devitriied glass, 1t is the custom, at

i intervals, varying in lengthde ending upon conditions, to discontinue the' 'rawing operation, cover over the drawing opening-and bring the glass beneath'to a rclativcl high temperature for an hour or more. T Ais re-- melting operation involves a considerable waste of time, audit is then-objects of the' present invention, (l) to provide means for preventin in a ve large degree, the formation o devitriie glass upon the draw- 'bar, and (2).to provide means for super# heating the glass above the draw-bar in a minimum .period of ,time to remove any dedicated in a diagrammatic way only.

vitriied glass which does form, and 'without the necessity of covering over the drawing opening or of removing the water cooling devices ordinarily used above the surface of the glass on either side of the sheet. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure -1 is a vertical'section through the apparatus, the drawing mechanism bein in- 1g. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to that of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view. -Fig. 4 is a partial plan view f a modification. And Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views through other forms of a draw-har. Referring to the drawings, 1 is the outlet end of a melting .,tank, preferably of the `regenerator type andl 2 isa drawing kiln or tank having communication with the melting tank, so that hot glas'sis supplied to the kiln )to take the place of the glass which is with#y vdrawnlin the formation of the continuous 4 is closed in over the pnajor sheet oli `riblon. lA cut-off or gate 3 is `provided bet'ween the melting tank and drawing kiln and the surface of the glass in the kiln I portion of its area by means of the refractory blocks 4, A5, '6- and 7. .The'edges of the glass sheet 8 which is drawn are kept from moving inward by means of edge holding Imembers 9, 9 similar to those shown in the Slinglu" Patent No. 1,549,513 of l'Augu The 'drawing of the sheet upward continuously from the bath may be accom lished by any desired mea-ns but this is pre erably doneby means of a series of pairs of rollers 10, 10 mounted in an annealing casing 11,

which casing,'as shown, terminates a short distance above the surface ofthe bath'. y

A clay drawbar 12, preferably of the cross section shown in Fig. 1 is employed, such draw-bar serving yto maintain t e line of draw of the sheet constant and to reduce the temperature' of the layer of lass lying` beneath the 4line of generation or the sheet. The bar is maintained 'with its upper surface submerged below the level of the glass -by means of the refractory blocks 13, 13

which may bel adjusted. up and down by -n'i means of the levers 14 pivoted at 15 and Y adapted to be moved to various positions of adjustment by means of the screws 16. The draw bar is provided u on its upper surface withal pair of longitu ina-lgrooves, which grooves are filled with the bodies omolten metal 17 and 18,`suchlxnetal preferably bein antimony, although any other suitable meta which does notreact with the glass may he employed. These bodies of molten metal constitute eloctrodesfand are supplied with vcurrent froma suitable f source through the terminals 19 and 2li, the terminal 19 having h its end immersed ih the metal 18 adjacent the end of the groove, while the terminal 2O has its end immersed in the metal 17 adjacent the other end ofthe groove containing such metal.

After the drawing of the sheet S has been continued for a considerable period of'l time and devitried glass has begun to form over. the upper edge of the draw-bar, a powerful How of current is passed between the terminals 19 and 20, and this flow of current passes through the layer of glass lying over the central portion of the har from one groove to the other. glass may thus secured, the extent to which itis carried being lreadily regulated bythe character-0i the .How of current.

Reheat'ing of this .layer of- After the reheating operation has 'proceeded to such anv extent as to properly recondition the glass, the drawin operation may beresumed. In fact, this rawing operation may be continued while the reheating operatlon is under way, although the glass produced under these conditions would be of' little value and would becontinuedmerely to avoid the trouble.- inciderrt to starting a new l draw with a baitjn the usual way.- By the method as 'above'set forth, the glass above the draw-bar may be brought to the desired tem erature and reconditloned in a relative short space of time, so that the time 4lost 1n this meltin operationis greatly reduced as' compar with the time acquired inthe old operation heretofore referred to, which reluired the removal of the edge holding evices and of the coolingA apparatus, and cover' over of the space betwen-tlre blocks 5 an 6 in order to secure a suilici'ent degree of heat in the bath there- 'A beneath. It is desirable that the termixis i' 19 and 20 -should be located at opposite e s l0 of the grooves carrying the metal 1 7 and 18 as'this eliminates any tendency of the cur'- rent to ow direotlyaeross from one terminal to the other, such as would be the case if both terminals were located at adjacent i ends of the grooves.-

- --Figl 4 illustrates amodiication in, which a communication 21 is providedi between the ends of the bodies of metal 22 and 23 in tle'groovesiof the draw-bar 24, the ter- '30 minals 25 and 26 being placed, in this in stance, at the same ends of the grooves. `With this arrangement, there is Ano flow of current through the glass itself the current owin directly between the bodies of metal $8 22 an 23 through the connecting body 21, so that the glass lying above the draw-bar is heated by conduction rather than by the resistance afforded by the glass to the patssage of the current therethrough as is tlie "4o casein the use of the apparatus of Figs. y1

to 3. The operation as set forth in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 is preferred as beihg more .rapid and positive, but it is quite possible to secure the necessary reheatin et? 4i fect bythe use' of the arrangements iown in Fig. 4.

We have also found in using the draw-bar with the pockets of molten 'antimony that the tendency o'f devitrifiqd glass to a ,cumulate upon the draw-bar is *'very materia ly re- Y duced, andin some cases, almost entirely eliminated, so that-,even when not employed with electric current for reconditioning the glass', the use of the molten metal in the draw-bar constitutes `a Very important improvemefit. It is believed that this improved 'result is due to the fact that the use' ofthe molten metal reduces 4 the tendency of the glass passing over thebar and into the 00 .sheet to cling lto the Abar. The molten metal does not hold or retard the movement; of the glass over its surface as clay does, and devitrification only occurs when glass is held i at a devitrifying temperature through a considerable period of time. This period of lag or detention is materially'reduced by reducing the area of'clay in contact wit the glass on the upper side of the bar. Figs.

A5, 6 and 7 show sections of other draw-bars designed to decrease the area of clay eX- posure upon the upper face of the bar, so

as to reduce the tendency` of theybar to retard the ow of glass thereover. In the Fig.

5 construction, the central ridge 27`of the bar 38 is thinner and of less height than is 75 the case in the Fig. 1 constructionso' that the tendency to hold the glass is materiali reduced. In the construction ofFgS. .6 an

7 the central ridge of clay is entirely eliminated, the bars 29 and 30 bein provided 80 with the centrall grooves 31 an 32.iilled with molten metal. Various other modifications are possible the invention comprehending broadly the use upon the draw-har of a body of mo ten antimony or other metal suitable for the purpose. v

What we claim is:

1. The combination with a glass drawin tank, of a draw-bar of refractory materia extending transversely of the tank submerged below the 'surface of the lass and providedoiits upper side with aongitudinal groove, a molten metal lying in said groove, yand means for causing a flow oielectric current through said molten metal'to 95 heat the glass lyingA above the draw-bar.

2. The combination with' a glass drawin tank, of a draw-bar of refractory materia extending transversely of the tank sub- 'merged below the surface of the glass and 100 provided on its upper side with a pair of grooves extending longitudinally of the bar, molten metal in said grooves,- and means for causing a iiow of electricity from one groove to the other to heat the glass lying therebetween in the path of such current. i 3.' The combination with a glass draw' dank, of a draw-bar of refractory materia extending transversely of the tank sub- Amerged below'the surface of the glass and 110l l provided on its upper side with a pair of grooves extending longitudinally of the bar, molten metal in said grooves, a air-of terminals one of which contacts wit the metal at the end of'one groove, and the other of 116 which contacts with the metal of the other 1 groove at the end thereof remotefrom thfei' I rst terminal, and meansv for causing a flow of electric current between the two' terminals. l i. 1 20 4. The combination with a glass drawin rtank, of a draw-bar of refractory materi extending transversely of the tank below the surface of the glass and provided upon its upper` side'witha longitudinal groove, 125 anda molten metal lying in said groove.

5. The combination with a glass dra. tank, of a draw-bar of refractoly mate extending transversely of the tank below the surface of the glass and providedupon its 13 ummm upper side with s. longitninai groove, and a body of molten mummy lying in said groove.

6. The combination with aglnss drawing tank, of a drow-bmof refractory material extemiing transverseiy ofthe tank below the surface of the glass and provided upon-its upper side wlth n pair of longitudinal grooves with a ridge of `the refractory matei-iai lying therei-lewecn, Vand molten metal lo lying in said grooves, said ridge o? reim@ tory material .projecting abovo'the level of the metal in said o'iooies,

1n testimony wieieof, we have hereunto subscribed our naines this Sth day oi' Jnn- 15 nary, 1926.

JOHN H. FOX. HARRY F. HHNER. 

